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Press Release
24 September 2008

UK schools celebrate a world of languages on 26 September

Learners around the UK have been counting down this week - in French, Spanish, Turkish and Mandarin! - to the European Day of Languages (EDL) on Friday 26, when children and adults around the country will be taking part in a language celebration spreading across the continent. Run by the Council of Europe and coordinated in the UK by CILT, the National Centre for Languages, the Day is a Europe-wide celebration of all the world’s languages and a chance to kick start language learning for children and adults alike.

For many primary schools this will be their first time celebrating the Day, and teachers have come up with some imaginative ideas ways of having fun with languages. Children at one primary school in Chester will be celebrating a ‘One world day’ by dressing up in costumes from around the world, while at one Lancashire primary school the whole school will be tucking in to a traditional French breakfast. Teachers and parents will joining in the fun at many schools: teachers at a primary school in Camberwell will be entertaining pupils with songs in different languages, while in Uckfield in East Sussex parents will be coming to school to give children classes in languages including Turkish, German and Welsh.

Many secondary schools will be using the day to promote the importance of languages and to celebrate diversity in their community. Sixth form students in Battersea will be sharing their language skills with Year 7 pupils by giving them taster sessions in Urdu, Greek, Arabic and Somali, while teachers at a secondary school in Essex will be showing off their skills by giving lessons in different languages. Year 7 pupils in Leeds will be getting creative by making food, T-shirts and models of famous landmarks from different countries, while pupils at a school in Ashworth, Kent will celebrate by eating and chatting in a ‘European Cafe.’

Although much of the Day’s activities will be focused around schools, many UK adults will be using the Day to kick-start their language learning at free taster classes in adult learning institutions and language centres around the country. Tara House Conference Centre in Swansea will be running a lunchtime session to raise awareness of languages in business, while Plymouth City Council’s Library Service are running a languages day where families and carers with young children can sing along to nursery rhymes in French and Spanish.

For CILT, the celebrations start early this year, with an awards ceremony marking the end of this year’s Languages and Film Talent Awards (LAFTAs) on Thursday 25 September. The competition invited young people aged 13-21 to make two minute videos showing why languages are important. The young film makers who made the 25 shortlisted clips will be travelling to London for the ceremony at the British Library to find which videos were singled out by CILT’s celebrity judging panel, which included broadcaster Sir Trevor McDonald, comedian Eddie Izzard and Sky Sports regular Guillem Balagué.

CILT staff will be joining in travelling around the country to celebrate the Day at schools organising fun languages activities. CILT will also be marking the European Day of Languages by taking part in a languages exhibition at St Pancras International run by the European Commission, providing commuters with information and advice on language learning, different countries and cultures. CILT’s new Chief Executive, Kathryn Board, will be attending ‘Which Europe, which languages?’ a conference in Paris organised by the French Government under their new presidency of the EU. The conference will bring together decision makers on languages from across Europe.

Kathryn Board said: ‘The European Day of Languages is all about celebrating the fantastic diversity of languages spoken all over the world, and we’re delighted to see so many schools reflecting this with activities using such a wide variety of languages. It’s especially exciting to see so many primary schools getting involved for the first time. Although the day is mostly about having fun with languages, it’s also important – particularly in secondary schools – to bring across a more serious message: that languages have a vital role in our society and that by giving them up pupils will miss out on valuable experiences both personally and professionally.’

More details of all registered events can be found on the Council of Europe website at www.ecml.at/edl. For further information about the European Day of Languages in the UK, and for resources, ideas and activities go to www.cilt.org.uk/edl.